Epilogue
by drunkrobot
Summary: Post-Synthesis: A rundown of a slightly modified ending where Shepard lives through the blast, in the spirit of the high-EMS destroy ending. After the initial recovery of both Shepard and the Galaxy, we'll visit the characters as they fill their final role.
1. Prologue: Catalyst

In my own personal opinions, Synthesis was actually a pretty good ending. The idea that it "mind rapes" the Galaxy isn't what I imagine happens. I think what happens is that organics receive physical augmentations, like stronger muscles or faster reflexes, while synthetics gain a better understanding of sentience-emotion, creativity, sensation etc. NOT turning everybody into husks. Other than that, we get friendly Reapers, a long-term solution to the "organic/synthetic war" problem, the geth and EDI doesn't die, and so on.

So of course, the only major problem is the death of Shepard. I can accept Shepard's death in-canon, but that doesn't stop me from making my own :)

* * *

"The paths are open. But you have to choose."

The Catalyst looks on at Commander Shepard, the human woman standing before the choices laid before her. She was on the verge of death, her body scarred and her armor scorched. Trying to push aside the pain, she weighed the options she had.

The Catalyst, thinking to itself, had to give her credit. No organic had ever reached this far, no cycle had ever put up such a fight. This "Shepard" achieved some impressive feats over the last few months. She had changed the variables, and the Catalyst had just given her the chance to shape the future of the Galaxy. "Worry", something the Catalyst had not felt in a very long time, sank in. In two of the choices, the Catalyst itself and the Reapers was either destroyed or absorbed into Shepard's consciousness, and both left a lot of room for error. The Catalyst's destruction would leave the question of organic-synthetic peace unaswered, and nothing suggested Shepard could handle assuming control of the Reapers. But, Shepard had proven that the Catalyst's methods would no longer work, so the final choice was hers.

Not saying a word, Shepard took a step forward, then another, then another, slowly making her way to her choice.

The Catalyst pondered, it was millions of years old, and now it was going to be irreversibly changed in a few seconds. It stayed where it was, watching Shepard take what had to be the last few steps of her life. The Catalyst would never have said it, but it felt "spite" towards the human. Ever since she foiled Sovereign three years ago, Shepard was a constant thorn in the side of the Catalyst. Destroying her had been a primary goal since the Reapers arrival in the Galaxy this Cycle. Whatever she chose, it had to make sure she died in the process. It was a feeling the Catalyst couldn't describe, it could only act on it.

Shepard came to the intersection, and moved straight ahead, towards the beam.

To say the Catalyst was expecting her to make that choice would be a lie. It was the one choice that Shepard, to her knowlege, had no chance of survival. That was a lie of omission on the part of the Catalyst. Synthesis didn't require the individual to be destroyed, their energy acted as an amplifier to the Crucible, a "Catalyst", fittingly-it enhanced the reaction, but was not itself consumed. The "spite" compelled the Catalyst to kill Shepard in the blast, and it still planned to do so.

Then, it realized something.

Shepard and the Catalyst had similar goals: Establish connections between different forms of life, to avoid conflicts of total destruction. That was why the Reapers were created, the harvest preserved the advanced civilizations in Reaper form, avoiding the inevitable war between organics and synthetics and allowing the younger species their time to florish. Shepard, however, succeeded in the methods that the Catalyst tried before the Reapers: The krogan and turians, sworn enemies, now work together. The geth and the quarians, what was to be yet another case of the Catalyst being proved right, now work together. And Shepard had been the reason it all happened. This single human had solved problems the rest of the Galaxy had failed to solve for centuries in months, and assembled one of the largest fleets the Reapers had ever had to fight. Even when all life in the Galaxy undergoes Synthesis, they will not be perfect, peace will not be permanent. Individuals like Shepard will be needed in the aftermath, if the Galaxy is to not fall back into war.

Shepard is now running towards the beam, accepting her fate.

To it's own surprise, the Catalyst makes a decision. It holds back in disintegrating the Commander, allowing the Crucible to analyze her energy, adding it to itself. The Catalyst instructs the beam to transport Shepard back down to Earth. There's something else the Catalyst hasn't felt in a long time. "Mercy"

'No rest yet, Shepard. You still have a lot of work to do.'

The Crucible fires.

* * *

I'll be writing chapters on where the many characters end up. Be sure to leave suggestions on who you want to see "epilogued"!


	2. Chapter 1: Shepard

"We've found her!"

"You've found who?"

"Shepard! She's here, in the rubble!"

Jane Shepard stirred from hearing her name. The last thing she could remember was leaping into the beam, a green flash filling her vision, then being plunged into darkness. For a fraction of a second, she thought about the people she cared about: Mordin, Thane, Legion, Anderson,_-Tali?-_ before welcoming death, finally having a chance to rest.

'Not yet.'

Her body ached, yet felt numb all over, more tired than in pain. As the world came in focus, she scanned her surroundings. She was in the shell of a building, like one back in London, the roof was collapsed, and she can see the sky above her: black, cloudy, no stars, the odd shuttle flying past. The ring in her ears subsided, and can hear the two people from before more clearly. Two human men, English accents _-Yeah, most likely London-_ apparently calling for a medical shuttle, most likely for her. Relaxed by this news, she started paying attention to what she was NOT hearing: no gunfire, no explosions, none of that damned Reaper wail she's grown to hate over the past few months. This definitely didn't sound like the middle of a warzone.

"Shepard, are you alright?" The two men, wearing the armor of Alliance marines, were making their way to her. "Christ, she doesn't look good."

Shepard couldn't help herself, she had to look down at her body, see what they were talking about.

Her armor was half-melted and what parts of her body that were exposed were covered in blood_ -Thanks, Harbinger-_ , the lack of pain must've been a mix of whatever painkillers her barely-operational suit had left and her nervous system blocking the signals to her brain, a defense mechanism sculpted by evolution that she had to depend on far too often. Now though, it didn't matter so much, friendlies have found her and an evac to the nearest hospital bed was on it's way.

Of course, that little defense mechanism has a habit of turning off when she was no longer in immediate danger.

Jane groaned as the pain returned, she would've screamed if she had the energy for it. She felt additional wounds on top of the ones from Harbinger, half of her ribs were cracked, her left lung punctured, her hip fractured and her right ankle smashed, part of her brain telling her she must've fell from a great height. The rest of her brain simply couldn't give a damn.

"Don't worry, a shuttle is on the way, let me help!" One of the marines starts applying medigel on her, the pain mercifully subsiding, but she starts drifting off back into slumber as the anesthetic takes hold. As Jane's takes one last look at him before collapsing, she can only think one thing.

_-Is his eyes glowing green?-_

* * *

_...beep...beep...beep...beep..._

Jane awakens, her mind foggy but increasingly alert, and she takes stock of the room she's in. She was in a bed, a significant improvement from the pile of rubble she was in before. Her armor was gone, replaced by a hospital gown. She was connected to life-support, hearing the steady _beep...beep...beep_ of a heart monitor. Thankfully they seemed to be more for recording her vitals than actually keeping her alive. This was a private patient room, inside some sort off medical facility.

It was easy to see what had happened. She fell unconscious when she was found, and was brought back to a hospital, either a base on Earth or the medbay on a ship, to recover. From the surprisingly good state she was in, and the massive cramps coming from her muscles, obviously from not being used in a while, it was fair to say she had spent at least a month in this bed.

A million questions assaulted her._ -Did I stop the Reapers? Did the Catalyst keep it's word? Was the crew alright? Have we won?-_

A brown-skinned man, with short, dark hair and blue eyes, and wearing an Alliance BDU, practically ran into the room. "Ma'am! You're awake!"

"Steve!" Jane managed to croak out, her vocal cords not having seen much use for a long time, either. "You made it!"

"Glad I can say the same about you, Shepard. I've come too far to lose my Commander now." Steve Cortez replies, giving the sharpest salute he can, along with the biggest grin.

"At ease" Jane declares with mock formality, giving the best attempt at a return salute her poor arm could manage. "Take a seat, tell me what's been happening."

"Actually, Shepard, half of the Galaxy was hoping you could answer that." The unmistakable gruff tone of Admiral Steven Hackett was heard from the door. Both Jane and Cortez turns to see him. After an exchange of salutes, he takes a seat beside Cortez. Jane tried to think back to the events after reaching the citadel beam-Anderson and the Illusive Man, the talk with the Catalyst, choosing to merge organic and synthetic life-and she didn't know were to begin.

"Sir, I'm not sure myself what happened, I barely believe it myself."

"Shepard, trust me, anything you say couldn't possibly raise more questions than it could answer. You're on the SSV Orizaba. You've been in a coma for 3 weeks. After the Crucible docked to the Citadel, and whatever you did down in there, a massive surge of energy expanded from the Citadel, and spread Galaxy-wide. The Reapers have stopped attacking us, in fact they're helping repair damage the Crucible blast did to the relays. What's more, all lifeforms, organic and synthetic, has had their bodies altered by that same blast. I'm hoping you can fill in the gaps here."

Jane was speechless. It all really worked, the Crucible worked, and the Reapers seemed to have stopped their slaughter. Remembering the marine who helped her, his glowing green eyes, she looks into those of both the Stevens before her. Behind their blue irises, at the center of the pupils, was a tiny spark of green, barely visible.

"I hope you're recording this, Admiral, because this is going to be one hell of a report."

* * *

Cortez was amazed, wide-eyed, at Shepard's tale, what she had done on the Citadel, the choice she had to make. Hackett, while not one to be overwhelmed, was still astounded. An ancient intelligence, one that created and controlled the Reapers to solve the question of how to preserve life, had given her the choice of destroying it, replacing it or making it obsolete. He could only guess at the immense pressure Shepard must've been under at the time.

"So, this choice you made, you feel it was the right one?"

Jane considered that. There were dilemmas with altering the existence of all life in the Galaxy, but that was nothing compared to the other two choices. "Yes sir. Destroying the Reapers meant destroying all complex synthetic life. I just couldn't live with the guilt of wiping out the geth, after all they've done to both help the quarians rebuild their home, and help us retake Earth. As for replacing the Catalyst, I don't trust myself with that sort of power. Becoming "goddess of the Reapers" would drive me insane after enough time."

Hackett nodded, seeming satisfied with that. "I'm going to trust your judgment on this, Commander. I never thought I'd say this, but the Reapers are being a big help. Already, the major relay networks are nearly repaired, a task that would've taken us months, even years to do alone. A few teams that worked on the Crucible are actually talking to the Reapers, and the knowledge they have built into them, knowledge on the species they were haversted from, is filling the databanks as we speak."

"Have they figured out the effects this has had on us?" Jane had considered, given her injuries, that she shouldn't be this well healed already. Did this Synthesis have something to do with it?

"It's a topic that still needs years of research before being fully understood, but it seems to have the same effect as your Cerberus implants. For organics, endurance, strength, and healing have been boosted, but psychology seems to be unaffected. For synthetics, the effect is...harder to quantify. Our geth allies seem more emotive, still driven by logic but have picked up a thing or two from us."

Cortez chimed in. "Yeah, don't be surprised the first time you hear a geth laugh, Commander. There's nothing to prepare you for it, though."

Jane had to chuckle at the thought, the first true, carefree chuckle she had for a long time. "I'm guessing that was a jo-"

_ -EDI. The Normandy. The crew. Where were they? Why hadn't anyone other than Steve arrived?-_

Worry consumed the Commander. "Admiral, where is my crew?"

Hackett allowed himself a small grin. A CO getting worried sick about her people, a feeling he can sympathize with. "A few days ago, we picked up an SOS from SSV Normandy. She made a crash-landing on an uninhibited planet. All hands on board alive and accounted for. They'll be here any day now" With that, he stood up, gave one last salute, and walked out, to resume his work on his ship.

The last time she had this few things to worry about was the beginning of the SR-1's shakedown cruise, before Eden Prime, before Saren and Sovereign, before the time when the word "Reaper" had so much meaning to her. She had a feeling that this war would kill her, she didn't give much thought to what she would do after it was over. Now that it was, with her somehow still alive, she had no idea what to do next.

"What now, Cortez? We haven't really planned this far ahead, have we?"

The shuttle pilot cracked an easy-going smile. "No we haven't, ma'am. I'm no doctor, but I wouldn't suggest we open the beer-fridge if you've just come out of a coma. Let's wait until the rest off the crew gets here, THEN we get drunk, as one big, happy, Reaper-slaying family."

The very thought nearly had Jane at tears. She went through hell with that crew. That ship, which began life as a Cerberus frigate, became as much a home to her as Earth was, perhaps even more. All this time, she was dreading the day she would have to order them all to their deaths. But that day never arrived, and now they can actually take a minute to really relax, without having any monsters on the horizon. She nodded in approval of Cortez's little plan.

"I can't wait to see James's face when a woman who's tied to a hospital bed drinks him under the table."

The two giggle at trying to imagine it. Recovering, Shepard turns to look at Steve in the eye. "What about long-term, lieutenant?"

Cortez looks down, as if a large weight had just been placed on his shoulders. "Soon, that could be Group Captain. Remember those Alliance fighter pilots I organized for the assault on Earth? That little act caught Hackett's attention, and he wants me in charge of the CAG on SSV Tsiolkovsky. I was about to take command of a CAG, but then I was put in charge of retrofits on the Normandy and...well, you know."

"Steve, that's great news. I wouldn't choose anyone else if I was in Hackett's shoes." Cortez looked at Shepard again, but the weight was still there.

"I appreciate that, Shepard, but I'm not as sure. Part of me still wants back in the cockpit, pulling G's and shooting bad guys, not flying a desk."

"I don't know about you, but after everything this war had thrown at me, I wouldn't mind a desk job that much. Less explosions, if nothing else."

The smile returned to Cortez's face. "Well, when you put it that way, it sounds like a vacation. But I think you still have a few years to go before anything that sedate, Commander."

Shepard's thoughts turned to something more personal, something only close friends can talk about "Had you thought about meeting someone new, now the war is over? If you don't mind me asking."

Cortez closed his eyes, and let out a small sigh. "I...not really, ma'am. I made a promise to Robert, that I'll move on. I will, someday, when I'm ready, just not yet. What about you, Commander? Ever think about finding someone?"

Jane opened her mouth to reply, but none came. Ever since Akuze, when she lost Sarah to that damned threaher maw, along with her entire unit, she kept everyone at arm's length. She had a dangerous job, especially with the Reapers, and it would be criminal of her to get involved with someone in that way, just to go off and get herself killed.

_"What about you? Ever think about settling down?" _

_"Yeah, I like the sound of that. Not sure I'll be much good at it, though." _

_"Sure you would. I think you'd make a great mother. Think how proud your kids'll be, telling everyone their mum is 'Commander Shepard'."_

Her chief engineer came to mind when she remembered Anderson's last words. There was something about Tali that allured her. During the chase after Saren, she written it off as just curiosity, having never met a quarian before. During her days working with Cerberus, however, it became a lot harder to ignore. She was never one to get angry, but what that Admiralty Board did to her friend was unacceptable. She practically scolded them for that.

Even if it was something genuine, it's not like Tali would return the feelings. Jane was a woman and a human, and Tali never expressed interest in either. And what was there to gain if it did happen? Someone to have cry over her coffin? So she kept it to herself. Now, though, with hindsight being 20/20, she regretted that. She should've asked as soon as the new Admiral got back onboard the Normandy.

_-No more excuses, Jane. The first chance you get alone with her, you spill the beans. What's the worst that can happen? The Reapers going berserk again?- _

"Yes, yes I have, Cortez. I don't know what I'll say, or what she'll say, but I'll give it a try."


	3. Chapter 2: Shepard

Captain Jane Shepard stirred awake. The atmosphere of her cabin was one of total peace. There was total silence, aside from the sound of breathing and the gentle hum of the fish tank. None of the electric lights where on, the lion's share of the illumination came from the tank's soft blue glow and the tiny, innumerable dots of starlight piercing the window. The reminder came from a small candle on Jane's workdesk, filling the room with a slight scent of cinnamon, masking the normally sterile smell of a starship. Even Jane's own body felt like peace: in contrast to the Reaper War, when it was subjugated to bullets, bombs, fire, electricity, biotic fields, omni-blades and the odd Reaper laser every other day, there was not a bandage, gel-pack, cut or bruise on her.

Shepard considered that, and remembered what she was just dreaming about. Well, less 'dreaming', more 'reminiscing'. She was thinking back to the days when that hell, the most stressful, painful few months of her life came to an end. She brought together an entire galaxy, lead them back to her occupied homeworld, and proved an ancient superintelligence wrong by doing so.

_ -That made me the most overqualified Commander in human history, didn't it? 'Captain' was probably the least they could give me.-_ The tiniest grin smuggled it's way onto Jane's face, and she looked over to beside her bed, finding the spotless officers uniform, neatly folded and lying on the chair, a small pin denoting the rank of 'Captain' resting on top.

In her peripheral vision, the odd knick-knacks on her bedside table. Her heavily-modded omni-tool, her old dog-tags, the chessboard Aria sent her after retaking Omega _-I swear, I am getting better at it. Traynor probably has an implant in her ear, letting Edi tell her what to do.-,_ but the last two, they got her attention. One was a photo frame, one of her and her crew on the Orizaba: her in the bed, recovering, and everyone crammed around her. They were all so relieved, so glad that everyone got through the battle alive.

_"C'mon, Esteban, are you taking the shot today or next week?"_

_ "I would tell you to do it, Mr. Vega, but you'd probably find a way to get the camera involved in some high-speed, midair collision."_

_ "I would also appreciate you double-timing it. Mr. Brittle Bones here doesn't enjoy kneeling that much." _

_"Is that so, Jeff? I recall an instance when you positioned yourself on one knee in front of me, and you were exceedingly happy." _

_A round of cheers and jeers erupts from everyone in the room. "Well, I wanted you to be very happy in that moment too, and you do enjoy the sight of humans on their knees." _

_"OK everyone, all together know, everyone say, "Normandy!" _

_"NORMANDY!" _

That brought her attention to the second object. A silver model, one of a spaceship, the latest entry of her collection. One long, slender fuselage, with four engine clusters arranged into two 'wing' shapes. It was a model of her new home. Sketched on the sideof the model, barely visible, was it's name.

_ SSV Normandy SR-3_

Her total tranquility was broken in the most pleasant way possible. A soft, perfect voice, one hidden behind a filter for far too long, called from behind her. "Not often you're the first one awake."

Jane rolled over, and her green eyes met the glowing orbs of her girlfriend. Tali'Zorah buried herself into Jane's neck as quickly as she could, wrapping her arms around the Captain. Jane spotted the clock on Talk's bedside table. "Tali, it's 5:30, it'll soon be our shift."

Not budging, Tali spoke in the most formal tone she could muster. "Captain Shepard, you are to not leave your post until the current shift is over, not one second before. Failure to do so will result in punishment. Do I make myself clear?"

Jane couldn't argue with that, not that she wanted to. "Yes, Admiral Zorah." She replied, returning the embrace. Returning to her thoughts on the last few years, she considered her journey from that medbay to this cabin, and thanked whatever divine creator that ensured she made it.

* * *

It was as far away from Alchera as possible. Instead of the cold and the pathetically thin atmosphere of Alchera, Jane was in the middle of a lush jungle, hot, wet and full of life. The calls and croaks of this planets organisms took the place of dead silence and the gentlest of winter breezes.

Despite that, it still felt exactly the same as Alchera. In front of Jane, was what was left of the Normandy SR-2. It was a downright miracle that everyone onboard survived_ -Then again, we do keep Joker around for more than just comic relief, don't we?-_, but if one thing was for certain, this Normandy would never fly again, at least not in battle.

Hackett walked up beside her. "Don't worry, Commander, we're sending a freighter here in a few weeks. We'll bring her back home and fix her up as a museum ship. She'll have a good retirement, a better one than, well..."

_ -My first ship- _

"I suppose you would want to take a walk around her." Jane only gave a silent nod. "I'll leave you to it."

This last round through the SR-2 was far more bearable than visiting the SR-1's grave. For one thing, there was no 'big task' to solve, no monsters to kill. The war was over, and she can mourn at her own pace this time. Instead of being there alone, the corridors and rooms on the Normandy were full of crewmembers collecting their belongings, talking to each other, remembering precious moments: Garrus and his battery, Chakwas and her medbay, all the way down to Westmoreland and Campbell taking one final shift by the door to the War Room.

Her first stop was the Galaxy Map. The hologram was, for obvious reasons, off, but simply standing on her, by standard Alliance design doctrine, ridiculous platform put her back into the zone, made her feel like 'Commander Shepard' again.

_ -OK, we know the drill: 180° turn, down the steps, 90° left.-_

After doing it for so long, she had 'doing the rounds' down to a T. Now, she was doing it for possibly the last time.

Her comm specialist, Samantha Traynor, running her fingers over her console, greeted her. "Commander. I was just saying goodbye to an old friend."

"Likewise, Traynor. Did you ever get around to painting your 'kills' on the Galaxy Map?"

Traynor tried to stifle a laugh. "No, I didn't. We would've probably ran out of paint if I did, all things considered."

"Like a proper marine, bravado and all. Going back to the tech labs when we get home?"

"After a few months serving under THE Commander Shepard? I'd soon die of boredom. You've gotten me hooked on this 'front-line' nonsense."

"I do my best. Any projects that've piqued your intersets?"

"Well, remember when I talked about the rachni's instantaneous communication? And how the Reapers seem to have the same capability? Sooner or later, people will be looking into those to develop something like an omnidirectional quantum entangler, which would be a real help right now. Besides, organizing the data-streams of the entire Allied armada was just too easy."

Traynor was good company, thought Jane. Eager, bright as a star, growing in confidence, she was like Nozomi, back in Jane's days in the Engineers. She wished she'd gotten to know Traynor more.

"In any case, take care of yourself, Samantha."

"I will, and you too...Jane."

* * *

_-90° right, 1 step, 90° left, 4 steps, 90° left, 30 or so steps down to the cockpit.-_

There, sharing the pilot's seat, was one of Normandy's darling couples. EDI was sitting on Jeff "Joker" Moreau's lap.

"Shouldn't the lower half of your body be shattering right now? No offense, EDI, but you are pretty heavy."

Powered spinning now sadly absent from the chair, Joker pushes the chair around to face Shepard with his legs. "Commander! No need to be dissing my girl, only I can do that! And, FYI, they're not shattering. Thanks to whatever crap is inside us now, brittle bone disease is eating refined dirt!"

"I believe what Jeff is attempting to say, Shepard, is that one of the effects of the Crucible seems to be a hardening of his bone structure, counteracting Vroliks Syndrome. And, yes Jeff, I did mention a 'hardening of your bones'. You should be very ashamed of yourself." EDI sounded as deadpan as ever, but somewhere in her voice was the smallest hint of emotion, an unmistakably "EDI" blend of sarcasm, mischief and a dash of Machiavellian scheming, all in good jest, of course.

"Yes, Mom, I'm sorry, I'll never it again." Replied Joker, channeling his inner 12-year-old.

Smiling at the unlikely couple before her, Jane fell back into tradition. "How are things in the cockpit?"

"We're just saying a final farewell to the old girl. I didn't really get a chance for goodbyes with the last Normandy."

Jane pulled a slight frown in confusion. "What about you, EDI? Aren't you built into the Normandy."

EDI gets off of Jokers lap, standing in front of Jane. "This platform easily contains the required memory for my core programing. With assistance from the modifications of the "synthesis" phenomenon, I was able to transfer myself from the ship's blue box to this body. I like it, despite the lack of an onboard cyberwarfare suite or any form of armaments."

"Do you...feel any different, from the synthesis blast?"

"I...yes, although quantifying it is difficult. I believe it would be akin to asking a person who was, until recently, deaf, to describe Beethoven's 5th symphony."

"I think I understand. To be honest, I don't think nine-tenths of organics know what they're talking about when it comes to 'those' kinds of questions. Want my advice, EDI, keep exploring, it won't disappoint you."

"I will, Shepard, thank you."

She leans down to kiss Joker on the cheek, then walks out of the cockpit. Jane turns to Joker, a small grin plastered on his face.

"What next, flight lieutenant? Kids, a house and a white picket fence?"

Letting out a quick chuckle, Joker rubs his forehead when he reminds himself of what's to come. "If only it were that easy, Commander. Legally, she's still a machine, no rights of any kind. We're working on how to get her citizenship. Hopefully, this whole 'Galaxy-shaking singularity' can get some of the bureaucratic crap out of the way. In any case, neither of us wants to stop moving anytime soon. If we can get her enlistment in the Navy, we'll join up on a ship together. You won't believe how many postings want you when you put 'led quarian fleet in shooting a Reaper in the face' on your résumé."

"I hope they give you something you can handle, Joker. See ya around."

"See ya, Commander."

* * *

_-180° turn, 30 or so steps down the corridor.-_

Jane soon found herself in the elevator, going down a floor, and making the anticlockwise cycle around deck 3. First stop, Liara's room.

"Welcome, Commander." Chirped Glyph. Liara T'soni was standing at her terminal, tapping furiously away at the keyboard. Other than her activity, the room was dead, the wall of monitors in front her black. Liara looked up at her Commander, and welcomed her into what had been her home for the past few months.

"How's the Shadow Broker holding up?" Jane asked nonchalantly. On a ship filled with the most talented individuals in the Galaxy, fighting it's greatest enemy, having the greatest information broker in history onboard was practically a requirement.

"Shepard, I have reason to believe that the Shadow Broker is doing very well for him-or-herself. After the activation of the Crucible, most operatives were at least as cut off from the outside as I was, so nobody has made a power play. That still leaves me with a mere fraction of what I had at the start of the war. It'll be a while before I have a pair of eyes on every street again." Even with her nigh-undepletable reserves of energy, Liara sounded exhausted, barely keeping tabs on her holdings without so much as a reliable connection to the extranet.

"You never will if you don't allow yourself a break. Sit down for a minute, you've earned a rest more than most."

Liara stopped typing, turning and walking slowly to her desk, collapsing in her chair and letting out a yawn that was building up inside her for the better part of a year.

"You're right, it's just the enormity of the reconstruction that's getting to me. A Galaxy has just bankrupted itself fighting the Reapers, and even now, the unsavory half of sentient life is trying to tear it apart. A corrupt politician funneling relief money into private accounts over here, a pirate lord setting up a criminal empire over there. The resources I have means I can do so much good, save so many people, and it can feel wrong to make time for myself." Liara rested her temple in her hands, looking closer to 200 than she really was.

"We will all have a lot of work to do. But right now, we relax. The Galaxy will be there tomorrow, today we have to ourselves." Part of Jane loved giving these pep talks, as much as she hated the reasons she had to give them. Being there to pick up a friend who was knocked down was very important to her. She herself knew how crucial it could be, she was thinking of doing some very stupid things after Akuze.

"Well, today is my last day on the Normandy, I should at least take a step back." She looks up at Jane, already with renewed energy. "I trust that your final goodbyes are a little happier than last time."

"Safe bet, T'soni, though there is one thing. Last time, I had a mission, something to drive for. Now, there's no new Normandy, no mission. I've grown up and lived on starships, but all of them are gone now, even Arcturus. After all this time, I don't know what to do."

Liara smirked at a thought. "I'm sure the Alliance will find a post for someone with your aptitude for insanity."

Jane brightened when she heard that. "Hey, it was Steve who suggested I go down in that diving mech, not me."

"And then you taught the ancient precursors the power of love."

"Do you want me to bring up the 'prothean bubble'? Anyways, what about you? Are you going to get back to your digsites anytime soon?"

"I think archeology may be a dead occupation know. There's probably at least one Reaper out there with the collective memories of the protheans, ready to give all the answers."

"True, but how many people out there have the pair to actually talk to it."

"Well, if it starts reading prothean poetry, then I'm out."

"Duely noted. See you later, Liara."

"You too, Shepard."

* * *

_-Main Battery. Garrus.- _

Jane walks in, seeing Garrus at the far end of the room, tinkering away at the Normandy's main gun. "Shepard, glad your here. The battle for Earth had left half the acceleration chamber magnets ablated, and coolant tubes 5 to 14 has simply given up on life. I need to have a few words with whoever touched my gun while I busted my ass killing husks."

"Don't worry about it, Garrus. Something tells me this gun will never have to fire again."

"I don't think you yet understand the big deal with giant guns, Shepard. One day, I will teach you."

"Compensating for something, Garrus?"

"What was that? My translator must've malfunctioned, I haven't a clue what you are talking about."

Jane liked Garrus. Sure, she had to reel him in when he tried to go axe-crazy on occasion, but he was there when she needed it most, just as she was for him.

"What do you plan to do with yourself, after you finish playing about with your toys?"

"Definitely get back to Palaven, help Dad and Solana rebuild. It's been too long since I've last seen them."

"Is there any chance for a 'Primarch Vakarian' sometime in the future?"

"Heh, maybe when the Galaxy isn't on the verge of crumbling. Talk to you later, Shepard."

"OK. And Garrus?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"I pacified the Reapers for you. Gonna make me a saint now?"

A pause, then a half-laugh, half-sigh from Garrus. "I was really hoping you didn't remember that."

"We humans never let anything go. It does roll off the tougne, though. 'Saint Shepard'."

"If I pull out all the charm I have, I'll get you a 20 meter tall statue, in marble, right in the middle of Cipritine square."

"You're too good to me." Jane waves goodbye to her old friend, then walks back out of the battery.

Dr. Chakwas wasn't in her medbay, apparently having said her goodbyes to it. Kaiden wasn't in the observation deck, either, he must be somewhere else on the ship. That left Shepard heading back towards the elevator, to deck 4: Engineering.

Jane was dreading this, imagining how many ways it could go wrong. -_Dammit, Jane, you are not in High School, asking a girl out to the damn prom. You've faced down the Reapers and won, you are NOT chickening out of this.-_

She press a button, and the doors close.

* * *

Cliffhanger! Yeah, I thought I would let you Talimancers wait a little longer, but hopefully that little scene in the beginning has tied you over for the meantime. (Tali/Legion pairing is only pairing)

In this fic, Javik was never found. This is simply because I don't have "From Ashes", and I don't have enough familiarity with Javik to confidently write about him. His way of thinking is too "Alien" for me to attempt. Till next time.


	4. Chapter 3: Shepard

The doors open, not into the engineering deck, but into the shuttle bay.

_-Dammit! Are you doing this on purpose?-_ Jane cursed her unconscious attempts at stalling the inevitable, and reached to press the button for deck 4, but then she heard the voice of Lieutenant Cortez.

"Steel Ironpec!"

Jane's curiosity was piqued, then she heard Major Alenko.

"Beefarms McLarge!"

"Nice one, Major. Smash Lampjaw! Slake Fistcrunch!"

Then, to top it off, EDI called out, with all her constant calm, "Diesel Planetmuscle."

Steve turned to see who came down in the elevator. "Oh, hey Commander. Come join us."

_-You go in there and investigate, missy.-_ Jane walked out of the elevator, and saw Steve, Kaiden and EDI, watching Lieutenant James Vega do his daily press-ups.

Jane was, in a word, perplexed. "What are you three doing?"

Steve explained. "It's a game Mr. Vega and I came up with. It's called 'The Many Names of James Vega'. Mr. Vega works out, and I list his many names."

K: "We, lieutenant. Chuck Bladebreast! Clint Musclemaul! Benchpress O'Pressedbench!"

J: "Well, I see how you and Kaidan would play this game, but why you, EDI?"

E: "While this is not my usual form of humor, it is worth learning about. It also aids in crew moral."

V: "Hey, I'm not worried if Elvis and Gears wants to join in!"

E: "Can it, Hank Bigbullet."

V: "Hah, yes, ma'am! Well, by my count, that's me done for today. Fun times over, _Amigos_!"

K: "Aww, just as I was getting on a roll."

Jane, her little 'issue' concerning the engineer temporarily forgotten, decides to do the rounds here in the shuttle bay, starting with Kaidan.

"Commander. Saying goodbye, I see?"

"Yes, Major. This one is less painful, thankfully. Still leaves me without either a ship or a home."

"After what you've pulled off, you can stay over at my place in Canada for a few months. Y'know, if it's still standing."

"Thanks, Kaidan, I appreciate the gesture. Did you get any more contact with your company?"

"Yeah, most of them were tying down Reapers in the Attican Traverse, not a lot of them made it to the fight for Earth. I'll be a busy man once they get back home, a lot of medals to give out. Many of them will...not be coming back. I'll have to start writing the letters to their loved ones."

"Nobody can save them all, Kaidan, but I know that a whole lot of them will be coming home because they had you as an example."

"Thanks, Jane, I appreciate it. I should go, catch you later." Kaidan walks to the elevator with EDI. Jane's attention turns to James, drying himself off after his workout.

"Hey, Lola. Decided to come down one last time?"

"Yes, James. I see you've been making friends with the Major and EDI."

James had a chuckle at that. "Yeah, guess all that nicknaming has bitten me in the _culo_." Setting the towel on his workstation, he turns to face Jane, his face going from cheerful and easygoing to tame and serious. "I got a call from Alliance Command. I'll be starting the N7 program soon, after this whole damn mess is a least partly cleaned."

"I'm sure they'll let you visit your family before you start. Have you heard from them?"

James relaxes somewhat. "Uncle Emilio is OK, he got out of Escondido before the Reapers reached him. It'll be good to talk to him after all this time. But after that, the work begins again. I know that it's a big deal and all, but it can't be much worse than running towards Harbinger, right?"

Jane thought back to that damned run, James and Tali beside her, as Hammer makes one last push for the beam, Harbinger and some of his buddies taking potshots at them. "I'd agree with you on that one, James. I still can't believe I nearly got flattened by a Mako."

"Didn't you used to have a Mako on the old Normandy? What happened to it?"

"It got trashed when I drove it through the Conduit."

"The what?"

"A prototype Mass Relay the protheans built on Ilos. Saren used it as a backdoor to the Citadel."

"Damn. Did anyone ever tell you how _demente_ you are? Ma'am."

"I hope I didn't set the bar too high for you, Vega."

"I'll only start to worry if I get sucked into a prothean beacon, Commander."

"Hey, with any luck, you'll be calling yourself that, soon. You're command material, and you know it." Jane remembered their sparring match at the start of the War, him telling her about his choice on fehl prime. That was a tough call if Jane ever saw one, and she would've probably made the same choice James did.

"Thanks, Lola. When I'm in Rio, busting my ass on the training course, I'll be thinking of you."

"James..."

"I know, I know, I'm just screwing with ya. Seriously, thank you for everything, Shepard." James holds out his hand to Jane, for a handshake. Jane accepts.

"Be good to yourself, Jimmy."

_-That's it, Jane. No more stalling, no more excuses. Deck 4. Now!-_

Jane turns and walks to the elevator, this time ensuring she selects deck 4.

_-Now or never.-_

* * *

An organic brain, as limited as it is, can still work very quickly. In the matter of seconds it took the elevator to move up one deck, Jane reviewed her entire relationship with Tali.

Jane warmed up to Tali almost immediately upon her joining the Normandy SR-1. In retrospect, letting any alien work on the Normandy's drive core was an inprudent move, especially an alien with such an undeserved reputation as the quarians. Jane, though, she knew more than to judge someone by what others call them. As for the legal restrictions from having an alien crew, well, Jane was just made a Spectre. In fact, if she recalled correctly, recruiting Tali was one of the first things she did with her Spectre authority.

While Jane had nowhere near the level of engineering aptitude Tali had, she was a veteran Combat Engineer, and the two bonded over sharing software for their omnitools. This led to talking about their lives. Jane was a spacer, and although she didn't quite get the feeling of having no home planet, she understood what it was like to spend a childhood separated from death by a bulkhead. Tali talked about her life on the flotilla, and her father. He seemed too hard on her, too difficult to please, Jane thought, but that was a step up from having no dad at all.

The hunt for Saren made that bond even stronger. Probably the one memory that stands out above all was when the two of them, plus Ashley, were stuck on some godforsaken deathworld with the Mako...

* * *

Shepard grunted, having had about enough with this fuel cell. She cursed the poor Mako for it's decision to break down here, a UV-soaked desert planet, in the middle of the most massive storm she had ever been in.

_-Ugh, should've went in the Navy branch. Sure, you could get spaced, but at least you know how you're going to die.-_

Shepard put aside the thought and tried to keep focus. She called to her engineer, who was inside the 'reliable' APC, rummaging for parts. "Tali! Found that H2 pump yet?"

The filtered voice of a quarian, a voice high-pitched and innocent, one that belonged to a girl still on her pilgrimage. "Yes, Commander! Still working on the heat exchange rod, though." Tali climbs out of the hatch, handing the part to Shepard. "At this rate, it may be better to just make a quick fix on the dud one. Keelah, Vakarian, if you didn't pack the spare rod, damn you!"

"Nothing we could do about that now, Tali." Ashley Williams spoke from beside Shepard. "Until either this storm clears or we get the Mako's transmitter running, we're alone down here." Ashley didn't have the experience at machinery the other two had, but she was helping how she could. If there weren't any geth, pirates or maniacal former Spectres down here to shoot, she might as well try to make the journey home as fast as possible. "What's the ETA, LT?"

"If I had the exchange rod in my hands right now, about 30 minutes, at least." Shepard manoeuvres the pump into position, fixing it into place and checking for errors. Satisfied, she and Ashley closed the panel covering that section of the Mako, finally able to rejoin Tali inside, making the final connections between the fuel cell and the Mako's systems. "Y'know, Williams, if I never see the inside guts of a Mako again after this, I will die contented."

"Maybe if you took more care in driving one, it won't break down so often. With respect, Ma'am."

The load bearing down on Shepard lightened when she was reminded of her 'skill' in the drivers seat. "Don't worry about, Ash. Although, you may face court martial if I hear another wisecrack about my danc-"

The ground rumbled beneath the three women and their tank.

_-Earthquake? Volcano? No, sensors showed no tectonic faultlines within 1,000 km. Underground cave-in? Under sand? Unless...-_

Shepard knew that rumble. She felt it before. How could she ever forget...

"THRESHER MAW!"

Just as Shepard suspected, an almighty creature rose from the desert sand. A great roar came from it, eager to tear apart it's prey.

Shepard froze. A world of pain fell on her: A colony, wiped out, a squad, decimated...a partner, dead.

_"Jane, listen to me! You have to run! Back in the shuttle is a com-unit to the Chicago, she'll kill this fucking thing!" _

_"I can't leave you, Sarah! You'll die down here!"_

_ "Look at me!" Sarah weakly lifts her arms, drawing attention to where the acid from the Thresher Maw had dissolved through her armor, biting into her body. "Nothing can fix this. I'm gone, but you're not! You can still get out of here! Don't die with me!"_

_ Jane tried to think of something, anything to save the both of them, but nothing came. They were the only two left, if she tried to give first aid, the Maw would just take the chance to finish them off. Her heart broke, and tears filled her eyes. "I, I...I love you, Sarah. So much." _

_"I love you too, Jane. Now go." _

That's how she survived Akuze. By running away as her soulmate bled out. She hated herself for years afterwards, never being quite the same. She SHOULD have died there with her, but she didn't. Now, it seems the Universe was trying to correct that mistake.

Shepard, once again, saw no plan. The Mako and it's gun was down, contact with the Normandy was nonexistent, and they had a number of guns that amounted to peashooters between them.

Shepard accepted her fate. She was now going to make up for leaving her behind, and maybe, just maybe, she'll be able to see her again.

"Commander! I've found the rod! I need your help in here!" Tali was screaming at the top of her lungs, trying to break through Shepard's trance.

_-Even if you deserve death, Tali and Ash don't. Suck it up and start leading, dammit!-_

"Ash! Start taking shots at that monster! Sniper rifle, aim for the acid sacs! Tali, I'm coming!" Shepard climbs the sleeping Mako, ducking into the interior, to see Tali quickly inserting the rod into the fuel cell's slot, moving on to reattach the weapon systems to the cell. "I'm here!" Shepard begins fixing cables from the cell to the hydraulics in the turret.

"Would really appreciate that cannon now, Commander!" Ash yells from outside, using the Mako as cover against the acid. "The plating can't take much more of this!"

"C'mon, you stupid bosh'tet, get in!" Tali cries out in frustration, fixing the last power cable in place. The main gun was now online. Shepard climbs into the gunner's seat, while Tali continues bringing other systems back on. The turret creaks in annoyance, as it lines up with the Maw's throat.

_-Not this time, you son of a bitch!-_

Shepard fires, a small pebble of iron suspended in a mass effect field is accelerated to a quantifiable fraction of lightspeed, and is brought to bear against the Thresher Maw's gullet. The Maw creaks over in defeat from the projectile, and dies.

Ash and Tali erupt into cheers, thankful the Maw was gone. Shepard, though, she was void of energy, and could only collapse further into the chair she was in, feeling spent.

Ash was outside, still celebrating, but Tali noticed her Commander, and went from ecstatic to worried in an instant. "Shepard? What's wrong?"

Long ago, Shepard decided that the less people in the Galaxy who knew of her time on Akuze, the better, so she made a point of never mentioning it to Tali. "I'm...fine, Tali. I'm fine."

Tali didn't believe that for a second. The downside to letting people into your life, Shepard thought, was that were more people who could read you. "Shepard, I've seen you go up against so much, fight so many enemies without fear, but you froze solid when the Maw attacked. Why?"

Shepard gave in, and told her the truth. "That...was not the first Maw I've met. I...lost someone in an attack once." Shepard, hero of the Alliance, the first human Spectre, huddled into a ball, trying to block the world out.

Tali sat next to her. "Keelah, I didn't know." She placed a three-fingered hand on Shepard's shoulder, a sign of comfort. "If you don't wish to talk about it, I understand. But I'm your friend, Jane, and I'll always be there if you need me."

Shepard wasn't given time to heal after Akuze. Physically, sure, she was stuck in a hospital bed for two weeks. But almost as soon as she could stay conscious without breaking down into tears, she was giving debriefs to people with admiral's pins and white labcoats, telling her story over and over again. She was one of the only humans who had seen a Thresher Maw attack in person and survive, so she had to describe everything she could about the demon that killed her girlfriend.

Her mother made a visit while she "recovered". The first thing she did when she entered the room was put her hand on Jane's shoulder, tell her it was alright, and gave her the longest hug she had since High School. That simple act reminded Jane that there were people out there who still cared about her, who loved her and would be there for her, no matter what.

Shepard placed her hand on top of Tali's , and gave her a small, but genuine, smile. "Thank you, Tali. I'll always be there as well. C'mon, let's get back to the Normandy."

* * *

That was where the feelings for Tali started to grow. She was a reliable crewmember, and a good friend, but part of her wanted more. Her voice, her personality, it all cried out 'sweetness'. She was the perfect woman: cheery, fun-loving, fiercely loyal to her friends. Something inside Jane wanted her.

The rest of her reminded her that she was a quarian. If Jane tried to show affection to her, she could die, or at least be put into hospital. She couldn't satisfy Tali without posing a severe danger to her. Nobody's feelings were worth a life.

Of course, it would be too selfish of her to even try. They had a job to do then, they had Saren to catch. She promised herself to at least talk about it with Tali, but then Virmire happened. If the death of Ash wasn't enough, the fight became so much bigger after the encounter with Sovereign. The Reapers, thousands of giant sentient warships, hellbent on harvesting all advanced life. Even after the destruction of Sovereign, the mission wasn't over. She buried her feelings, went back out into the Terminus Systems, and got herself killed.

New life, new backers, new foes. Thankfully, Tali eventually found her way 'back' onto the Normandy, but it just wasn't the right time to make a move. 'Hey Tali, I know I spent 2 years being dead and all, and now I'm sending you on a possible one-way trip through the Omega-4 relay, but do ya wanna hook up?'

Against all odds, everyone survived. But then she had to go off and kill 300,000 people to stall the giant space monsters that nobody believed in. Command called her back home to stand trial, so she had to kick off as many crew as possible, Tali included, so they can go and prepare for war. The next time she saw Tali, Earth was occupied, the genophage was cured, two of her friends were dead, and the geth had been forced into working with the Reapers by a massive, stupid attack from the quarians...

* * *

The Reaper was dead. Shepard couldn't believe her plan actually worked. She was mere milliseconds away from being cooked by the Reaper laser, but she successfully coordinated the entire migrant fleet in beating it into submission.

"We did it, we killed a Reaper. Keelah..." Admiral Tali'Zorah beside her was speechless at how she pulled it off.

"We can confirm that the geth are no longer being directed by the Old Machines. We are free." Legion from behind them reported on their success.

_-Thank Christ. It's over.-_ Shepard was exhausted, adrenaline running out, but her heart lifted. Finally, peace has came back to Rannoch.

_-This would be the perfect moment, wouldn't it?-_ Her feelings towards Tali surfaced again during the few weeks the Normandy spent in the Tikkun system. Once again, some massive issue of Galactic politics got in the way of telling her. Shepard had to deal with the fact that this conflict between the geth and quarians was regarded as "unwinnable", one side would have to die for the other to survive. She had hope for peace, but there was a very real chance she would have to commit genocide at some point. Not very romantic, all things considered.

Now, though, she had dealt with the Reapers here, and nobody died._ -Look at her, Jane. You just got her a planet, now tell her!-_

"Tali, I-"

"You did it, Shepard!" Admiral Gerrel says on Shepard's helmet communicator. "The geth fleet have stopped firing! They're completely vulnerable!"

_-No, no, nononononono, NO! After all this, that idiot still wants to continue his damn vendetta!-_

"Shepard-Commander! The geth only acted in defense, after the creators attacked. Do we deserve death?"

Jane already knew the answer to that. She entered the geth consensus, saw what really happened 300 years ago. She didn't see cold, metal monsters rising up and slaying their masters. She saw parents trying to exterminate their children when they asked difficult questions, and when some tried to protect them, they died too. "Alright, Legion, what are you suggesting?"

Legion looked straight at the Reaper remains, and walked forward. "Our upgrades. With the Old Machine dead, we can upload them to all geth, without sacrificing their independence."

_-Upload the Reaper code, the geth wake up again, and the geth don't get wiped out. Simple.-_

Tali faced Legion, "Wait, that would make the geth as smart as when the Reaper was controlling them."

Legion meet her gaze. "Yes, but with free will. Each geth unit would be a true intelligence. We would be alive, and we could help you." Legion looks at Shepard as it says that last point.

Shepard thought back to Earth. The skyscrapers in Vancouver falling, shuttles and ships being blown out of the sky, the little boy in the ducts, only one of millions to die on the first day. That was months ago, and it was far worse now. She was sent to get help for Earth, and now Legion was offering the resources of the geth, which was worth more militarily than the migrant fleet...

"Shepard, the fleet is attacking the geth right now! If they awaken during that...they'll go berserk, they'll destory us! Please, I beg you, you can't choose the geth over my people!"

Legion looked away, and asked a question. "Do you remember the question that caused the creators to attack us, Tali'Zorah? 'Does this unit have a soul?'"

There's the weight again, the fate of billions resting on her. The decision she didn't want to make all this time was now inevitable. '_Which race of sentients do I kill today?'_

Her gut instinct went towards saving the geth. They had the moral high-ground here, they never wanted to fight organics. Plus, they had more to give to Earth, more humans would be saved if she chose the geth.

Then, she looked into Tali's eyes. Those entrancing, brilliant eyes that just about pierced her mask. Even with this glass screen, she saw desperation, fear, torment - they didn't belong to someone who deserved death, either. For 290 years and counting, the Galaxy shunned her race, waiting for them to finally collapse and enter the history books. They were beggers and theives, because nobody would let them become anything else.

They were also the eyes of the woman she fell in love with. How many games did they play together off-duty, how many memories did they have of walking around the Citadel on shore-leave together, checking the shops and enjoying the sights, how many times was Tali there when Shepard was on the verge of breakdown? And now, she was considering leaving her and her entire race to die.

_-You're better than this, Jane, you're a soldier, not a murderer. There has got to be a way.-_

"Legion, upload the code."

"Shepard? What are you-"

"I'm freeing the geth, AND the quarians." Shepard tapped her helmet, opening communications with the fleet.

"This is Commander Shepard. All ships, break off the attack."

Tali joined her. "This is Admiral Zorah, I support Shepard's order. Stop the attack."

"20% complete", chimed Legion, preparing the databurst to the consensus.

"Belay that! Continue the attack!" said Gerrel. No matter what Shepard or Tali'Zorah was to the fleet, Gerrel had overall command, the final say.

"40%"

Tali nearly exploded in a panic "Gerrel! You're going to kill us all! Legion, please don't do this!"

Legion spoke with regret in it's voice. "We never wished for this outcome, but we see no alternative."

Somehow, when the entire Galaxy was threatening to rip itself apart, the sight of Tali'Zorah hanging her head downwards, dreading the impending extinction of her people, was enough to get Shepard's mind working in overdrive, ready to browbeat Gerrel into peace.

"Ah, hell. Keep going, Legion." She reopened comms with the fleet. "This is Shepard. All ships, stand. Down. Now."

"This is Zorah. Shepard, once again, speaks with my authority."

"She has mine, as well." The unexpected help from Koris was appreciated. The head of the civilian fleet being on her side was a bonus.

"Negative! We're a minute away from winning this war! Keep firing!"

"60%"

"You're a minute away from being blown out of the sky. Legion here is currently uploading the Reaper code to the geth. Any second, they'll be back to full strength. If you're still firing when he finishes, the geth will wipe you out. And I'm not going to stop him. I'm done with saving you. I will stand and watch when they lay you to waste."

"80%"

"But they don't want to. They allied with the Reapers because you forced them to, because you want nothing more than their destruction. The geth. Want. Peace. Believe in that for one moment, and this war will be over. The choice is yours. Please. Keelah se'lai."

The most agonizing moment of silence passed. Admiral Gerrel makes one final order to the fleet.

"All ships, hold fire."

_-My god. You actually did it. You marvelous bitch.-_

A smile crept onto both Shepard and Tali's faces, while Legion agreed with itself that this was a most satisfactory outcome. It's - his - processes were tainted with a new-found regret.

"Error: Copying code is insufficient. Direct personality dissemination required." Both Tali and Shepard have talked to Legion enough to realize what that meant. He had to break himself down to distribute the Reaper code, if the geth were to reawaken. "Shepard-Commander, I must go to them. I...I'm sorry. It's the only way."

Once, Tali would've been glad to see this platform destroyed. Then, she was forced to work with him by Shepard. They started talking to eachother, learning about one another, and they became friends. Now, one of them was willing to die, so the other can enjoy peace.

"Legion, the answer to your question, was 'Yes'."

Legion took one last look at her. "I know, Tali, but thank you. Keelah se'lai."

* * *

Below Shepard and Tali, the crew of the Tonbay was conversing with geth platforms, hammering out the basics of their joint occupation of Rannoch. Sentients that were trying to kill eachother moments ago now worked together, planning where to send their fleets against the Reapers, what resources to spare for the Crucible, where to build homes and plant crops.

On the cliff, the Commander and the Admiral sat, watching Tikkun set behind a mountain range in the horizon.

"Getting on the property ladder, Tali?" Shepard asked her friend, trying to bury the hurt from losing Legion with happier thoughts. -_The geth are free, and the quarians have a home. Today is a good day, no matter who of your friends died.-_

"Maybe a slice of beachfront will be a good start." Tali spoke in an eery calm, the knowledge that her people now have a planet was overwhelming for her.

"Well, you better move in fast, it's a buyers market." Tali replied with a short sigh. "I know it's going to be difficult. Y'know, working with the geth. Will you be alright here?"

"I'm not staying, I'm coming with you."

Shepard was overjoyed with the idea for her 'interest' coming back to the Normandy, and terrified of the prospect of getting her killed. Her terror won out. "I wasn't going to ask. They'll need someone like to you to keep those Admirals from killing eachother."

"I'm sure they can behave themselves while I'm gone. You've earned a few favors with the fleet, anyway."

"I am asking them to fight the Reapers. Makes us even, I reckon."

"Just another reason for me to join you. If we didn't help Earth, soon enough they'll come to Rannoch, and everything we fought for will be gone." Tali looks down at the ground in front of her, hanging her head in shame. "Besides, I can't bear looking at it yet. All I can see from this beautiful landscape is the people I lost trying to get it. My team on Haestrom, my father, even Legion."

Tali wouldn't be Tali if she didn't think something bad was her fault. Shepard placed a hand on her shoulder. "Tali, they never died because of you. You've saved far more lives than you think. Who do you think I look up to?"

Tali raised her head, looking into Shepard's eyes. "Thank you, Jane. You're the best friend I could hope for." Seeing Tali light up again made Shepard relax. "I bet you say that to every human who gets you a homeworld."

"Only the cute ones."

_-Did she just...? No, you're reading too much into it.-_

The two sat together for the longest moment, then Tali broke the silence.

"It is beautiful, though. When this is over, I'll come back, and finally build that house. It'll be years before we can go without our suits, but right now..." Tali reaches to her mask, undoing the locks on her visor. She lifts it off of her helmet, taking her first breath of unfiltered Rannoch air.

"...right now, I have this."

Shepard was stunned at the sight before her. She was gorgeous, her pale, flawless skin reflecting the orange of Tikkun. Her eyes were glowing, magnificent white orbs of light sitting on either side of her small nose. Her cheeks blushed violet as Shepard stared at her.

"Again, Jane, thank you, for everything." She puts her visor back on.

* * *

The elevator doors open, the window overlooking the shuttle bay in front of Jane.

_-Here goes. Two steps forward. 90° right. Five steps forward...-_

Jane walked into Engineering. Tali wasn't at her station. The room was silent, Adams, Kenneth and Gabby had left earlier. Even the drive core was quiet now, taking some well-earned rest.

"Tali? You here?"

"Down here, Shepard." Her voice beckoned from the drive core room. Jane saw her, staring up at the silent core. Jane walked up beside her, learning on the now-dud control panel.

"Hey there. Saying your final farewell to the core?"

Tali sounded exhausted, mournful, but held a glint of optimism in her tone, knowing that tomorrow was going to be better, not worse. "Yeah, I AM called 'vas Normandy' for a reason. Keelah, the number of hours I must've spent tearing that thing apart and putting it together again. I should write my signature somewhere."

"Well, Hackett does want her turned into a museum. We'll need proof we had Admiral Tali'Zorah, hero of the quarian people, onboard at one point."

Tali gave Jane a dirty look. "As if the hordes of Reapers I left slayed in my wake wasn't nearly enough evidence."

_-Stalling...-_ "What are your plans now, since the war is over?"

"I'll be getting back to Rannoch, at least check up on how development is coming along. Hopefully, they haven't started another war down there. I never thought I'd say it, but we would be lost without geth assistance. Oh, and I've made some important decisions."

"On what?"

"It'll be a two storey house. The bedroom window will be facing the East, so I get to wake up to that sun every morning. Lot's of windows, maybe a greenhouse. I'm not exactly a farmer, but I'll try to teach myself something about plants."

"You've earned it, Tali. I'm glad I had you beside me all this time."

"At least I didn't have to take a rocket to the face."

Jane stopped leaning on the panel, and stood straight. "Tali. I...I have to tell you something."

Tali looked puzzled by this. "What is it?"

Both Jane's mind and heart raced, imagining all the possible ways this could go wrong. She could get rejected. Sure, Jane has been turned down before, but this was Tali, the dream woman. She still loved Sarah and the time they had, but she had to move on, for both their sakes, and Tali was the first since then she had let into her heart. For it to get awkward, or worse, hostile and spiteful, was a terrifying thought.

"You...know that I'm your best friend? As you are mine?"

It was Tali's turn to go stiff, wondering where this was going. "Yes, of course. Why?"

_-No turning back. Spit it out!-_

Jane takes a step forward, closer to Tali. "I...I want more, than that, Tali."

Time stood still for the pair, Jane's words echoing through the deck. Jane's eyes were full of both hope of acceptance and fear of rejection, Tali's were of slow comprehension.

"Jane...I don't know, what to..."

_-Dammit, dammit dammit! You messed up! What did you do wrong?! Can't you just be satisfied with what you have?! Dammit!-_

Jane, her dreams crushed, tried to escape. "Wait, that was stupid of me! I don't know what I'm talking about! Just forget it! I'm-"

Tali stepped forward and wrapped herself around Jane, holding her as tight as she could. Jane felt her seemingly bounce up and down, and only after a moment she realized Tali was crying. The quarian pulls away from the human. Tali speaks, quietly, "I've waited so long for you to say that. Are you sure?"

Jane herself was nearly at tears as well. She nods her head. "Yes, Tali, I do. I just didn't know if you felt the same way."

Once again, Tali moves closer. "How couldn't I? The dashing Commander, going out of her way to save the young girl on her pilgrimage? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because I could kill you if I gave you a kiss? Because I could've gotten killed at any moment - again - leaving you with nothing more than a body?" Jane now really was crying, and Tali took her hands in her own, squeezing them tight.

"None of that matters now. My immune system has gotten a lot stronger now. Even if it didn't, it would be a risk I was willing to take."

"But what if it-"

"Shusssssh..."

Tali let's go of one of Jane's hands, using her free hand to unlock her visor. The visor comes down, revealing her angelic face, and is set down on the control panel.

Jane couldn't help it, her free hand reached to gently stroke her porcelain-smooth cheeks, each savoring the touch of the other. At last, both women closed the distance between them, their lips meeting eachother in one, long, perfect kiss.


	5. Chapter 4: Normandy

Normandy was asleep, the deepest sleep she has ever been in.

Weeks before, she was fighting an enemy of undescribable power. There was almost never a chance to rest: she was either making tight turns around and lashing out in anger at those enemies, struggling to survive, or enduring in the eye of the hurricane, being slowly grinded down by daily wear and tear until the next great battle. Whether the fight of the day was against monsters or micrometeorites, she was aging, slowing down, occasionally getting injured, but she would keep on fighting, because there was no other acceptable choice.

Much like her crew. Normandy was much more than a box of metal, holding a mound of eezo and a quantum bluebox. She was moments, memories, she was people, very dangerous but noble people that would give of themselves for the sake of the others.

There were so many that have walked her hallways. Long ago, when she was young and fresh and new, they all looked the same, spoke the same set of languages, using the same words: human, humanity, Earth. There was something else, a machine intelligence, but even she spoke human.

Then, another joined: another human, but she was different. She had an aura of authority, someone who could inspire those around her. Normandy knew, this human was her 'Commander', and she was her ship.

With this human, and many others - the 'perfect' operative, the quiet soldier, the loud helmsman - she first spread her wings. Her core humming with a steady pulse, electrons running through her circuits with the data and the mathematics needed to navigate the heavens, she left her cradle and entered the Galaxy.

Gradually, her Commander brought new faces with her, inviting them into Normandy's hull. Some were human - a hardened criminal, tortured by the Universe because of her natural abilities, a scarred mercenary, on the hunt for a man who had wronged him, a master thief, hiding a great pain with an armor of playfulness and warmth - but others were...not. They were different, new - one much like the merc, scarred and with an eye for revenge, a doctor, one who talked openly about much and kept silent about even more, a huge warrior, one that knew only how, not why, to fight.

The more time went by, the more faces that came. The spiritual assassin, himself reaching the end of his life, the ancient agent of justice, as deadly as she was wise, the young engineer, fascinated about the world but never, ever touching it. The last addition, the last face, was both alien and familiar, it's soul existing within streams of code, a thousand voices speaking as one.

They were all so _heavy_. Each one had something eating their energy, breaking their backs. They all had a mission, a most worthy goal, but if they had continued to carry this weight, they would collapse, and bring others with them.

But the Commander, she went to each of them and took off the weight. They would leave Normandy, then come back a little brighter, uplifted, feeling a sense of purpose. Slowly, they began to trust one another, even befriend eachother. They became part of her.

Then, all at once, Normandy was gutted. The enemies came, and took away the crew. Normandy was helpless, angry at what was allowed to happen. She wanted the enemies gone, wiped out, and the crew saved, brought back to their home. The Commander and the many she recruited, ordered Normandy through a relay, one that had never been returned from.

Normandy was damaged, breached from an attack by those who took the crew, but she held together, and delivered the team to the base. Working as one, accounting for eachother's weaknesses and building on eachother's strengths, they destroyed the enemies and found the crew, alive.

That mission left Normandy tired and wounded, but she only had a taste of what was to come. Her Commander left, alone, when they had traveled to a system near the edge of the Galaxy. Two days later, she sends a call for help, riding an asteroid about to destroy the system's mass relay. She came, picked up the Commander, but her sensors felt something massive on the horizon. Reapers, thousands of them, screaming down on this system, running for the relay. Luckily, Normandy and her crew escaped both the Reapers and the asteroid, but that display of raw power was telling - the fight was far from over.

She was brought to the planet Earth and, to her surprise, was put in chains. The crew was either made to leave before reaching Earth, or was taken away, replaced by yet more faces. Everyone was gone, even the Commander, but two remained, the machine and the helmsman.

She had many memories of them, at first they were formal at best, antagonistic at worst, but that changed after Normandy was gutted. After, when they dealt with the those that took the crew, they warmed to eachother, working and relaxing together.

The new faces healed her wounds, making improvements in many areas. She was given a new uniform, a new skin, but she was still lacking: in memories, in people, in the Commander, in freedom.

Then, the Reapers came. Around her, people that were commuting, playing, arguing, kissing, all looked up and saw their destruction. A city that took centuries to build was being leveled in minutes.

Normandy was broken free of her restraints. She took to the air, dodging the chaos around her, until see found _her_. Her Commander, on the ground, surrounded by deformed monsters.

She blew them to smithereens.

The Commander ran towards her, and when she boarded, both felt a sense of unity, of homecoming. Amidst all the horror, there was a glint of hope.

Normandy was on another mission. Once again, travel around the Galaxy, gathering allies. Not just individuals, but armies, fleets, entire species, to both assemble a force to retake Earth, and give the Galaxy enough time to build and use the Crucible, an almighty weapon with the capability to totally destroy the Reapers.

The Major left all too soon, after being wounded on Mars, replaced by someone new, an asari. The scarred turian, now a respected general, joined. The machine took physical form, a body in the shape of a human. The helmsman was pleased by that.

An old face and two new ones - the doctor, alert and busy as ever, and two belonging to the species of the warrior, krogan, one a chief, with a love of violence yet a desire for peace, a father to his men, the other a woman shaman, one who has suffered greatly in a long life, but still hopeful of the future. The Commander did something for them, took away the weight they bore, and made them happy. The doctor never returned. She felt it from the Commander, she had lost him in battle.

She was soon thrown into a massive battle, not one of humans or turians or asari against the Reapers, but one between the races of the engineer and the legion.

She had observed their relationship, absorbing it into herself. It was much like the one between the machine and the helmsman. The organic was preemptively hostile, and the synthetic would make no attempt to cool that hostility. However, every mission they made together, they would come back closer, less hostile, more cooperative, a friendship baptized in blood. When the legion first came aboard, the engineer threatened it's destruction. When the two boarded once more, she defended it from members of her own species.

The race of the legion, the geth, had been enslaved by the Reapers, and the Commander swore to free them. This, she succeeded in. Normandy was proud of her part: she flew in close and unleashed on the master Reaper, spearheading a massive fleet.

When the race of the engineer, the quarians, came back to Normandy, there was satisfaction, closure, but not bloodlust. In the moment of weakness of the geth, the quarians stayed their hand, and allowed them to become alive. The engineer stayed on Normandy, once again serving to keep her operational. The legion never returned. She felt it from the Commander, she had lost him in battle.

Indeed, while she was liberating others of their weight, hers kept mounting. She worked more and slept less. After a mission to the planet thessia, her Commander was unrecognizable. She was nearly empty, feeling exhausted, pressured, inadequate. She snapped at her crew, having no more of that aura to give.

Then, that engineer, in one short conversation, rejuvenated her. She had been given a tiny flame of hope, and let it spread through her, igniting the last reserves of her soul. She was back.

Before the final battle, Normandy was given the best possible demonstration of what her Commander and her followers were. When the crew stopped at the Citadel, so both they and her could recharge, she was stolen by a human woman. She _looked_ like the Commander, _sounded_ like the Commander, but wasn't _her_ Commander. She had nothing inside her, only hatred. The real Commander found her way aboard, and kicked this imposter off with help from her crew.

The crew came back, minds clear of distractions and ready for the biggest fight of their lives. Normandy herself was prepared as much as she could be, the crew tweaking her to the absolute maximum effectiveness. She was ready to get back to Earth.

Onboard, in front of her galaxy map, the human admiral rallied the fleets in one last boast of "Victory or Death" before the battle began. She knew the Reapers outclassed them in every way, but she and the people on her had done the impossible before, and she had learned to trust your allies.

She formed the tip of the largest concentration if military strength in history. Together with the might of the Galaxy, their volly gave even the Reapers pause, giving Normandy the space to drop the Commander and her team onto Earth.

Normandy contemplated, there was many ways the battle could go wrong. It was very likely that it would be the last time she ever sees them. She felt...mournful, but quickly asserted that the only way she would see them again would be if she gave her all, and returned to the fight against the Reapers in orbit.

It was intense. Every second, a Reaper was firing at her, a drone was chasing her. She was being pushed into turns that would soon wreck her hull, her weapons kept on firing at a rate that would soon burn them out. They had to, any slower, and she would be destroyed. Just a little longer, and the Commander would reach the beam, reach the Citadel, defeat the Reapers...

Normandy was called for help. She descended down into London, swaying to avoid being shot down, and landed where her Commander was pinned. She opened her bay door, and the Commander, with help from the soldier, dragged the engineer, obviously wounded, into the shuttle bay. The Commander only took a few steps up the ramp, before saying goodbye to the engineer, and once again running towards the beam, alone.

The last she saw of the Commander, she was directly hit by the lead Reaper.

Despite that, when the Crucible activated, and the shockwave blasted in all directions from the Citadel, Normandy knew who had caused it.

Alas, the celebration was shortlived, as that blast could severely damage her at this range. She jumped into FTL, attempting to outrun it. She was worn out, shot up, overheating, and she was not fast enough. The blast scrambled her computers, taking her out of FTL and on a collision course with a planet.

* * *

The entire crew was with her in the mess hall. Jane considered that. When will the _entire_ crew ever be _right here_ n the Normandy again, if ever at all?

Jane begged desperately to get her fully repaired and put back into service, but to no avail. Especially with the lack of resources right now, it was just too expensive. It wasn't mere superficial damage, the battle and the crash made it's toll on the very backbone of the ship. If she tried to fly again under her own power, she would crumble.

Another fate awaited her. Instead of her predecessor, still rusting away on Alchera, she would be picked up, restored at least partially, and spend her days as a muesuem ship, a monument to the heroes, alive and gone, that did their part to win the War.

But right now, she was not a muesuem, or a monument. She was a an oasis of calm in the chaotic Galaxy.

Jane's eyes fell on those who had lived and worked on her. "We are at peace, for the first time in a long time. This war hasn't lasted 6 months, it's been going on for a VERY long time. We've all lost so much, but we came out on top." That earned her a few cheers from the crew. "Now, we rebuild, gain back what has been lost. One day, the Galaxy will be normal again, and this war will just be an ugly footnote. However, when we all go back to our families, start new ones, build new homes, we mustn't ever forget this..." Jane raised her arms, drawing attention to the ship around her. "...our home, the family we had here, on the Normandy."

The room was in silence. Those barely detectable vibrations, that quiet hum, was gone, and silence was all there was to replace it. "Would anyone like to say something?"

EDI was the first to speak. "I have lived almost my entire life on this ship. It was my body, it and I were the same. Even with everything I have now, I will be leaving a large part of myself behind. I found my humanity here, watching all of you be yourselves. It was the best time of my life." EDI, of all people, was on the verge of tears. Joker quickly grabs her hand to reassure her, to ease her. "I'll never forget a moment of it."

Joker picked up. "The two years after the blowing up of the SR-1 was the absolute worst. I lost my ship, I couldn't even fly. Then Cerberus, for all the good they are, built a new one, with the Galaxy's hottest AI onboard, and asked me to take the helm. Best thing they ever did. Well, aside from stitching you back together, Commander." The crew had a few well-needed laughs from the jab at the Commander. "She was one hell of a bird, and it was an honor to be in the drivers seat."

Tali joined. "I've had the fortune of seeing her up close, right down to the wires and struts. She is a technical masterpiece, but of course, she is more than that. I wouldn't give my time on this ship up for anything in the Galaxy. Total strangers, aliens, even synthetics that I would've disassembled without a second thought, I can now count among my dearest friends."

"Some of us, you can count as being even closer, Tali." Jane inserted. The crew gave one, united 'Awwww' at the statement, everyone's hearts melted when Jane and Tali announced their relationship.

"If you two would like to be alone, I'm sure we can all accommodate." Garrus helpfully adds. "I'll never forget that gun. No, I'm not going to say it, sorry to disappoint. Seriously, however, my time here is something I will value for the rest of my hopefully long life. Half of you aren't even that bad." Everyone acts in mock offense to the good-natured ribbing.

Finally, Liara spoke. "I know that I've been very 'cagey' to most of you, given my responsibilities, but I truly value the time I've spent on this ship. I think Legion had said it best. He once told me it was a pleasure to assist the Normandy. I asked him if he ment the Normandy CREW. He simply said " We see no difference."

Jane, indeed everyone in the room, smiled at that. "Well said. Everyone, to the Normandy, may we wish her a long and peaceful retirement."

"To the Normandy!"

Normandy continued her rest. She has had enough exictment in her life, enough memories. New faces showed themselves in her halls every day. They were not warriors, they were civilians, ordinary people from across the Galaxy who wanted a look into the legendary warship herself. She delighted in this duty.

Yes, she has collected enough memories.

Now was the time to share.

* * *

A bit more of a poetic, spiritual chapter, sending off SR-2 on a graceful note.

Of course, this invokes the idea of a soul in the machine, that inkling you have that your first car, or that fighter jet or spaceship you have a poster of in your bedroom, is an actual thinking, feeling intelligence.

The Normandy, IMO, was as beloved a character as any squadmate, so we had to see her final post as well.


	6. Chapter 5: Hackett

Outside his window, in the Admiral's cabin of SSV Orizaba, the twisted wreakage of Arcturus Station was being reforged into it's former glory by what was, until a few months ago, the Galaxy's greatest enemy. Reapers, both Sovereign and Destroyer-class, were salvaging parts of the station destroyed in the charge to Earth nearly a year ago, moving them into position and carefully wielding them together.

On the holographic projector in his office, the form of a Reaper Capital appeared. "Our work on the Station will be completed within three Earth day-cycles, Admiral. We will then join our brethren in the Attican Traverse, repairing the network there."

Admiral Hackett, Supreme Commander of the Earth Systems Alliance Military and defacto-Prime Minister during wartime, looked up from his desk and addressed the Reaper. "Thank you for the assistance, Luktoma. Once you're done with the superstructure, I'll be sending in teams to complete repairs."

"This is most satisfactory. Luktoma out."

This did not fall under Hackett's original definition of 'working with the Reapers'. For six terrible months of his life, his every waking moment was dedicated to their total destruction. He had to sacrifice entire fleets in delaying actions so that the Crucible could be finished in time. He ordered the largest military taskforce ever assembled into the Lion's Den, his home planet, at the time occupied by the Reapers.

Now, the same Reapers that were bombing Earth cities, harvesting humans by the millions and turning them into husks, were working 24/7 with the goal of rebuilding everything lost in the war. He hated to admit it, but he was grateful for the help. The Crucible damaged the mass relays, for a time trapping everyone in the galaxy inside the star cluster they happened to be in at that moment. Without Reaper assistance, the relays connecting all Allied race homeworlds - Earth, Palaven, Thessia, Tuchunka, Rannoch, Irune, Kar'shan, Kahje, Dekuuna, Heshtok,...Sur'kesh... - would've taken a couple of years to repair, with the first five being connected only now. With the Reapers, however, all homeworlds were back on the network already, with Reapers spreading out to assist with the networks of individual races.

Galactic politics was now in a very strange place. The Allies were now very tight-knit, having only survived by working together. Everyone had to look out for themselves, of course, but old hatreds seemed to fade away. The Council more than doubled it's number in recognition of the krogan, quarians, geth, batarians, volus, elcor, drell and hanar. The quarians and geth, along with the drell and hanar, were offered two seats each, but both instead accepted one joint seat. The drell and hanar were expected to do so, but the quarians and geth? Strange bedfellows indeed...

Udina's coup attempt left behind a human Councilor-sized hole, and Hackett himself was offered the position.

_-Not in a million years.-_

Ambassador Osaba proved a capable replacement during the war, so a reestablished parliament elected him permanent Councilor.

Hackett cupped his nose and let out a heavy sigh. After the war, his fleets and Systems Alliance worlds were in ruins, and both had to be in the best shape possible if humanity wasn't to face total economic collapse. He was exhausted, organizing the reconstruction efforts took a toll in him. At least he doesn't have to decide which ships he can't save, which colony's he couldn't reinforce. Those were awful decisions, ones he hoped he never had to make again. A reminder of why his secondary job is fighting wars, and his primary job is to never go to war in the first place.

The intercom chimed, the voice of the Orizaba's comm specialist ringing through. "Sir, Director Lawson wishes to speak to you on the QEC."

"Thank you, Richards."

Hackett stood up, and walked over to the offices's QEC. The image of a woman, white suit and black long hair, crystallized.

"Admiral."

"Director, how are things at Lazarus? I hope you've sweeped the place of Reaper artifacts before moving in." One Alliance Black Ops organization going crazy from indoctrination was more than enough.

"Don't worry about that, although it is taking a while to get rid of the cigarette stench." Miranda Lawson used to work for Cerberus, working as an operative and acting second-in-command to the Illusive Man himself. Hackett was about to order her arrest when she turned herself in, but Shepard had leaned on him. Apparently, she was XO of the Normandy while Shepard was dealing with the collectors. Shepard assured she had cut ties with Cerberus, and had a lot to offer the Alliance.

Shepard had never done Hackett wrong, and Lawson was no exception. She knew her old employers inside and out, and was indispensable in knocking Cerberus out of the war. Now, she was Director of Lazarus, picking through Cerberus's rubble and reforming it into what it once was, a research and special forces taskforce with the goal of securing the safety of humanity and it's allies, minus the disregard for sentient rights. Lawson has recently set up shop in what was left of the Cerberus headquarters, Cronos Station.

"I'll be sure to send you some scented candles, Director. I have just now received your report on the effects of Synthesis, if that is what you're calling about."

"I hope it's a good read, but that's not what I'm here for. This is arguably far more important."

That caught Hackett's attention. "Alright, Director, shoot."

"Admiral, do you know why my organization is called Lazarus?"

"Why, yes, that's the name of the cell you ran in your Cerberus days. It's the one responsible for bring Shepard back. You have my thanks for that, by the way."

"I take great pride in what I and my team did there, but Shepard wasn't the only Alliance asset we brought back to life. We had also fast-tracked development of the Normandy SR-2, and we aided Shepard in assembling a team against the collectors."

"Yes, you sank much of Cerberus's resources into that project. Shepard herself told me it equalled the cost of an army."

"Expensive though it was, you can't argue with results. Shepard and her crew destroyed the collector base, and was instrumental in building the force to retake Earth. The genophage cure, the Miracle at Palaven, saving both the geth and quarians at Rannoch, none of that would've happened without the Normandy crew."

Hackett was catching on to what Lawson was talking about. "I like to think I know more than most people what Shepard is capable of with the right resources. You're thinking of getting her these resources back."

"Exactly. I'm forwarding a document to your omni-tool know."

Within seconds, Hackett's omni-tool pinged, and he opened the document that had appeared.

_Project Phoenix: SSV Normandy SR-3 _

"We currently have the resources we need to begin construction, we just need authorization to begin. Your authorization."

What little Hackett could skim from the document, he was very impressed. "I'll be honest, Lawson, your idea intrigues me. I'll give this a proper read-through, and you'll have a yes-or-no by the end of the day."

"Thank you, Admiral. Lawson out." The image of the Director flickered out of existence.

* * *

"Richards, patch me through to Commander Shepard."

"Yes, sir."

_-Sorry to interrupt your vacation, Jane, but something tells me you'll want to hear this.-_

On the QEC, the form of Commander Shepard, hero of the Citadel, materialized, her straight-as-a-board stance forming an oxymoron with her casual summer wear.

"Admiral, I apologize for not being in uniform."

"At ease, Jane, my last order to you was for you to enjoy yourself."

"Thank you, sir, it's just I'm not that used to extended breaks."

"I think the Galaxy can handle itself for a couple of months. How's the rest of the team?"

Shepard noticeably relaxed, knowing she was speaking as one friend to another, not as a soldier to a superior. "We can certainly be in a worst position than we are. Thankfully, we have yet to drink Monaco dry. I hope nothing big has come up? Because if it has, we can be ready to-"

"Don't worry, everything is fine. I've just called to discuss your next commission."

Shepard went from worried to curious. "Oh?"

"I'm sending you some of the basics of it right now."

Shepard checked her omni-tool, and when she saw the title of the document sent, her eyes lit up in excitement. "How soon can we start?"

"She's still on paper right now, but I've just ordered the foundries warmed, and work will begin soon. In the meantime, we'll need to get a crew together. That includes you and many of your current team, Captain."

If the last revelation didn't floor her, that one did. "Excuse me, sir, but did you just-you didn't, did you?"

"I did. You've managed all the responsibilities of Captain since being made a Spectre, we might as well make it official. Tell the rest of your team, positions for them are in the document. Enjoy the rest of your vacation. Hackett out."


End file.
